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###### Federal Communications Commission

          - [OMB 3060-1283; FR ID 187764]

# AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

# ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

# SUMMARY:

                        As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as                               ( print page 84324)                            required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.                    

# DATES:

Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before February 5, 2024. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.

# ADDRESSES:

                        Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email                         *PRA@fcc.gov*                         and to                         *nicole.ongele@fcc.gov.*

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

*OMB Control Number:*                     3060-1283.                

*Title:*                     Improving Outage Reporting for Submarine Cables and Enhanced Submarine Outage Data.                

*Form Number:*                     Not applicable.                

*Type of Review:*                     Extension of a currently information collection.                

*Respondents:*                     Business or other for-profit.                

*Number of Respondents and Responses:*                     85 respondents; 154 responses.                

*Estimated Time per Response:*                     2 hours.                

*Frequency of Response:*                     On occasion reporting requirement.                

*Obligation to Respond:*                     Mandatory. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i)-(j) & (o), 405, and the Cable Landing License Act of 1921, 47 U.S.C. 34-39, and 3 U.S.C. 301, and Executive Order 10530.                

*Total Annual Burden:*                     308 hours.                

*Total Annual Cost:*                     No Cost.                

*Needs and Uses:*                     Section 151 of the Communications Act of 1934 (Act), as amended, requires the Commission to promote the safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communications. Additionally, the Cable Landing License Act, (47 U.S.C. 34-39), and Executive Order 10530, provide the Commission with authority to grant, withhold, condition and revoke submarine cable landing licenses. Further, the Cable Landing License Act and Executive Order 10530 provide that the Commission may place conditions on the grant of a submarine cable landing license in order to assure just and reasonable rates and service in the operation and use of cables so licensed. “Just and reasonable service” entails assurance that the cable infrastructure will be reasonably available. Availability of submarine cables is also critically important for national security and the economy because submarine cables carry approximately 95 percent of international communications traffic and are the primary means of connectivity for numerous U.S. states and territories.                

This collection is part of the Commission's NORS outage reporting regime. As with the other information collection collected in NORS regarding other communications services (under OMB Control No. 3060-0484), this collection facilitates FCC monitoring, analysis, and investigation of the reliability and security of submarine cable networks, and to identify and act on potential threats to our Nation's telecommunications infrastructure. Drawing from a decade of experience in outage reporting, the Commission will seek an ongoing dialogue with submarine cable licensees, as well as with the industry at large, regarding lessons learned from the new information collection. These efforts will help the Commission develop a better understanding of the root causes of significant outages, and to explore preventive measures to mitigate the impact of such outages on the Nation and the American public.

Mandatory submarine cable outage data provides the Commission with greater visibility into the availability and health of these networks, allowing the Commission to better track and analyze submarine cable resiliency. This enhanced visibility into submarine cable network outages will allow the Commission to take appropriate actions to mitigate disruptions, if necessary, and to avoid the development of larger, more significant problems which could impact national security and public safety interests. Submarine cable outages do not typically occur with the same frequency as terrestrial outages, but when they do occur have a greater impact on the Nation's telecommunications due to the volume and nature of communications carried over such cables. Damages to submarine cables are usually caused by weather or inadvertent slicing by underseas equipment. However, submarine cables are also susceptible to intentional damage for nefarious purposes that could lead to a severe degradation of crucial government, as well as non-government, communications.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2023-26696 Filed 12-4-23; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-P